Monday, October 11, 2021 — Checking on progress for Indigenous issues awareness
The Black Lives Matter social justice movement called attention to just how unbalanced public awareness and recognition is for Native American issues. Native people and allies took to the streets, toppling statues and monuments that civic leaders long ago established to promote a decidedly white, colonialist—sometimes racist—viewpoint. Now elected officials are pondering what to do with statues of Christopher Columbus, Father Junipero Serra, and others. Meanwhile the number of places recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day is growing and getting more organized.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021 – Young people promote healthy living
Some civic-minded young Native people are devoting their energy to promoting healthy living for themselves and those around them. Several groups are hoping to deploy Native youth to help improve statistics for Native Americans who are disproportionately affected by many adverse health problems, from diabetes to obesity.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 – Music Maker: Ailani
The album “Heartbroken Bones” is Ailani’s gift to the world and it’s full of youthful energy. It pulls in listeners with a clean sound and a voice that soulfully speaks with honesty. This young Santa Clara Pueblo musician uses their music to dialogue about love, identity and human nature through playful indie pop compositions. We’ll hear what led this melodic creative down a musical and artful path and what it means to share stories through sound.
Thursday, October 14, 2021 – Monitoring damaging oil spills
California officials are still tallying the damage from an underwater oil pipeline rupture that leaked nearly 150,000 gallons of oil along a sensitive Pacific Coast area. National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp issued a statement urging the federal government and others to “take this opportunity to engage with Tribal Nations to protect our natural resources and find solutions to prevent these devastating events from happening again.” It’s also a harbinger of the threat confronting tribes that have unsuccessfully fought against pipelines on their ancestral homelands.
Friday, October 15, 2021 – The complex path to home ownership on tribal land
Tribal members hoping to purchase a home on tribal land often face a gauntlet of red tape, delays and complicated legal arrangements. Even if they manage to satisfy all the requirements, they may still be unable to get a mortgage from a standard lender. In addition, some tribal members who benefited from HUD’s Indian Home Loan Guaranteed Program are coming up against constraints.
